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Each year, the Rosenfield Program sponsors several competitive grants that support student internships in public affairs, international relations, or human rights.

The Rosenfield Committee interprets its mandate to fund student work in these areas broadly. Last summer, students interned all over the world, including with the U.S. State Department and members of Congress. In South Korea, one student worked with the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, translating documents and designing a campaign to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the armistice and promote peace on the Korean peninsula. Other students interned with organizations such as the House of Rainbow Bridge Orphanage in Cambodia and the Agenda Center for Family Support, which helps provide access to social rights for Roma in Belgrade, Serbia.

Iulia Iordache ’15 spent her summer working for EducationUSA Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. She promoted studying in the United States and explained the basics of the American educational system and how to get a medical or law degree in America. Iordache benefited from immersion in a different country and culture, saying “I introduced new ideas and helped improve my workplace, but I was also encouraged and nurtured to acquire new skills. Finally, through my simple presence in a country like Malaysia I learned more about the politics, social patterns and injustices of the area and I am very happy that I had this experience.”

An internship at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave Lee Purvey ’14 experience in both breaking news reporting and in-depth feature writing. During his summer, Purvey “covered topics ranging from automobile collisions to a SWAT team stand-off to a … program aimed at controlling the local mosquito population.” In contrast to work on these fast, brief pieces, he also wrote several feature articles. Purvey reviewed films, reported on equine therapy, and wrote an article profiling a former convict who turned her life around thanks to a local nonprofit. “My summer at the Post-Gazette provided me with an unparalleled look at the environment of a professional newspaper and gave me a much fuller sense of how I work, what work I'm good at, and what work I find meaningful” he said.

Rebecca Moreland ’14 spent the summer in Phoenix with the International Rescue Committee. She was in charge of cultural orientation — classes designed to help newly-arrived refugees adjust to life in America. “Trainings cover subjects encompassing cultural adjustment, health care and insurance, home safety, leasing and apartment information, nutrition, benefits and economic security, Arizona and federal laws, the court system, and immigration,” said Moreland. In addition to creating lesson plans for the classes, she was also tasked with teaching and designing evaluation procedures.

As a public health intern in New York City, Javon Garcia ’14 was part of a mobile testing unit for the Foundation for Research on Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The unit would travel to different neighborhoods in New York with high rates of HIV, homelessness, sex work, and drug use to administer free HIV and STI tests. They also provided free food and hygiene kits, operated a syringe exchange program, and offered harm reduction and safer sex education. “It was very intimidating at first but I am so happy I was pushed out of my comfort zone. The biggest things I learned were how to provide nonjudgmental help to clients and how to work with marginalized communities,” said Garcia.